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ULI panel urges ‘gentle density,’ code fixes and targeted pilots to add ~2,600 housing units in Tucker
Summary
An Urban Land Institute technical assistance panel recommended gentle density (missing‑middle housing), clearer zoning standards, ADU streamlining and targeted pilot projects—especially near Northlake Mall—to add about 2,600–2,700 housing units while preserving neighborhood character, panelists told Tucker City Council.
A panel convened by the Urban Land Institute Atlanta told the Tucker Mayor and City Council on June 23 that the city can begin addressing a local need for roughly 2,600–2,700 new homes by updating zoning, piloting targeted projects and using public‑private tools.
"This is just a start," Lance Morsell, ULI Atlanta's strategic initiatives lead, said, describing the two‑day technical assistance panel that produced recommendations for housing types, regulatory changes and phasing. Panel members emphasized strategies that increase attainable housing without wholesale disruption of single‑family neighborhoods.
The panel recommended a "gentle density" approach that would allow missing‑middle housing types—townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, cottage courts and accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—in areas near downtown and corridors such as Lawrenceville Highway. "We recommended that the city update its zoning code to clearly define and allow missing middle housing types," Arman Tolentino, the TAP project manager, told council members.
Panelists also urged the city to:
- Grandfather existing ADUs and simplify setbacks and lot rules to encourage owners to build and legalize units; - Consider form‑based codes or overlay districts for targeted corridors; - Publish sewer basin maps and set infrastructure prioritization policies to support infill; - Use pilot projects and tax tools (for example, a tax allocation district) to catalyze development and fund infrastructure; - Make community engagement central to implementation, using design workshops, transparent project data and a housing task force to guide local outreach.
Sam Christenberry, a market consultant on the panel, recommended reducing discretionary special land‑use processes that developers said make projects unpredictable and time‑consuming. "Developers want clear guidelines for what to build and the confidence that proposals complying with standards will proceed," he said.
Panelists pointed to specific opportunity areas—Northlake Mall, parts of the I‑285 corridor and nodes on Lawrenceville Highway—for higher density and mixed‑use development while encouraging lower‑intensity, missing‑middle solutions near longstanding single‑family neighborhoods. They cautioned that factors such as septic systems, setbacks and parking requirements may limit where density is feasible and urged the city to plan around those constraints.
Council members asked for clarity on the 2,600–2,700 unit number; panelists said it was based on a previous city housing study and market research and should be refined through further analysis and public engagement.
The panel offered the report as a set of options rather than an adopted plan; officials said next steps will include staff review, additional community engagement and council direction on whether to pursue code changes, task force formation or targeted pilot projects. The report and its recommendations will inform Tucker's zoning‑code discussions and capital planning as the city balances growth, infrastructure and neighborhood character.
